The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1887-09-10
MISSISSIPPI GEOLOGY.
Editor ofThe Times Democrat:

EullOf OF Ine llnes-DemOcral:
BERKLEY, CAL, Aug. 20, 1887
Some friend at the South sends
me copy of your issue of July 21,
in which Prof. Lawrence johnson,
of the Uuitad States Geological
Survey, is represented IN a tele-
gram from Washington as stating
in respect to the iron ores occur
ring in the Ignite formation of
Northwestern Mississippi that
"neither he Hilgardl nor any Of
ms predecessors ever observed
iron ore there TO any extent"
AS my report on the geology of
Mississippi has been IN the hands
Of Prof. Johnson since 1868, 1t is
hardly credible that the reporter
should NOT have misunderstood
the intent of his statement: for the
occurrence Of the limonite ore
n0nules is not only mentioned in
that report in numerous places
but is given as the habltual surface
indication of the Ignite formation
of North Mississippi. Those who
are in possession of the report in
question can readily verify the fact
but, as that document is now
practically out of print, l cannot
allow to pass uncorrected q state.
ment that, in the mind of any one
familiar with the geology of Miss.
issippi, would leave only the
choice between my having been
purblind at the time or else
thoroughly incompetent for the
work of a geological survey.
did not, it is true, attach much
Importance to these ores from o
practical point of view, and even
refrained from giving them, and
the numerous other iron.bearing
materials occurring in the State,
the designation of ores, for the
reason that at that time the north.
ern portion of Mississippi was in.
tested with a horde of profession.
al "prospectors." who inveigled
farmers and others into all kinds
OF senseless mining enterprises,
for which there was not the re.
hottest chance of success, aud
which were industriously sustain.
cd in many cases by the sailing"
process l spent much time and
patience in exploding these frauds
and convincing the people that,
apart from iron, no metallic ores
were to be found within the State,
aud that, agriculture must be look.
ed to for its prosperity. In my ro.
port it is pointedly stated that
while Mississippi might in case Of
need produce her own iron, yet
under ordinary conditions the su.
perior advantages of the mines of
Tennessee and Alabama would
not permit her to compete, as
there is nowhere, apparently, with.
in a REASONABLE distance of any one
point enough of ore to justify the
erection of so expensive q plant
as an iron furnace, which would
exhaust the accessible supply
within few years at most, AS a
mining expert, / still SO believe,
having gone over the region con.
cerned in great detail. | consider
that the chances for successful
manufacture are very much better
in the Red River region of Louisi.
ana, on which l made report to the
New Orleans Academy in 1869 and
1873. There at least the supply of
ore and that generally of better
quality than the average of the
Mississippi ores is equally as
available, with excellent transpOr.
tation facilities, as matters now
stand. Unlikely as it seemed at
first blush, the "purely alluyial "
State of Louisiana, with it's mex
haustiblo mines of salt, sulphur
and iron, may yet vie with Ala.
bama in Its mineral industries.
I. W. HILGARD.